Exercisers utilize exercise machines and equipment to achieve many health benefits in a safe, efficient and fun manner. For example, exercise machines and equipment are used to reduce body fat and to increase strength, speed, lean muscle mass, and cardiovascular health. Due to their popularity, exercise machines and equipment are found in commercial fitness centers and homes in many nations of the world.
Exercise machines and equipment often employ a seat to support the exerciser while exercising. Examples of such exercise machines and equipment include: stationary exercise bicycles; road or mountain type bicycles; resistance strength training supporting racks or platforms (e.g., preacher curl benches, military or shoulder press racks, etc.) for use with free weights; and resistance strength training machines that employ as resistance weight plates, deflectable members, elastic bands, springs, hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, etc.
In the context of exercising with a bicycle, proper seat height is necessary to optimize the exercise benefit and to prevent knee and other injuries. Similarly, in the context of exercising with a resistance strength-training platform, rack or machine, proper seat height is necessary to properly position the exerciser in the exercise station to optimize the exercise benefit and to prevent injury.
Existing seat height adjustment mechanisms for bicycles and resistance strength training equipment typically offer incremental height adjustment capabilities that are inadequate to allow a seat height to be tailored to an exerciser's needs. Additionally, existing seat height adjustment mechanisms are awkward, if not outright impossible, to adjust when an exerciser is seated on the bicycle or the resistance strength training equipment, which is an optimum way of setting proper seat height.
There is a need in the art for a seat height adjustment mechanism that allows an exerciser to easily and comfortably adjust the seat height for exercise equipment. There is also a need in the art for an easy and convenient method of adjusting the seat height for exercise equipment.